I’ve been talking with many new members of our Functional Dentist Directory recently, and it has made me reflect on my own dental career. Here are a few thoughts I’ve been thinking about.
Early in my career, working for a large corporate dental chain, I learned a harsh lesson: the system often rewards procedures over prevention. In that environment, spending time educating patients about disease prevention simply didn’t produce the same revenue as performing restorative work.
That model never sat right with me. From the beginning, I have prioritized educating my patients. Prevention and patient empowerment are central to how I practice—billing for knowledge and long-term health rather than short-term fixes.
The Latin root of the word “doctor” means “to teach.” For me, dentistry isn’t only about performing excellent clinical work. If I’m not teaching and empowering patients to care for their own oral health, I’m not fulfilling the role I believe a doctor should play.
It’s no surprise that my commitment to prevention and patient education led to friction in that first job—and ultimately to my dismissal. The full story of that early experience and how it shaped my approach to dentistry is available on my About page.
🎧 Episode #53: How to Keep Retainers Clean
In this week’s podcast episode I share my personal routine for keeping retainers clean without exposing yourself to toxic chemicals. It’s a practical guide for anyone who wears a retainer or cares for someone who does.
I’d really appreciate your help spreading awareness about the mouth-body connection. Please consider leaving a review for the podcast on your preferred platform—it helps other people discover this important information.
Have a great week,
P.S. If your child is still using a sippy cup, I strongly recommend transitioning to a smarter training cup. Traditional sippy cups are linked to problems with oral and facial development, including issues with the airway, jaw, swallowing, and tongue posture. I’ve seen the EzPz mini cup make a meaningful difference in retraining my 10-month-old grandson’s drinking habits. It was designed by a speech-language pathologist with oral development in mind and supports healthier feeding patterns. Use code ASKTHEDENTIST for 10% off on EzPz products as offered to the Ask the Dentist community.